Abstract

As long as we understand that world conferences only address problems, we will not be disappointed in them. We will only be disappointed if we think that a world conference is supposed to solve problems. Is there any point in getting a lot of people together, at great expense, just to address a problem without any prospect of solving it? My answer is a qualified yes. A world conference is a cultural artifact. It has an impact upon our collective sense of civilization.

D'Amato, Anthony, World Conferences and the Cheapening of International Norms (October 19, 2010). Saint Louis-Warsaw Transatlantic Law, Vol. 9, 1995; Northwestern Public Law Research Paper No. 10-65. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1681164